Windows 7 Libraries – One Step Closer to Linux

By John Dow

Many users who upgrade to Windows 7 will notice that the good old directories and file structure from Windows XP and back is missing in action. While frustrating to some, it is a giant step forward in better handling of data. The Mac OS and Linux (and Unix) operating systems have used this method of data storage for years.

Microsoft tried to implement this In Vista but it kept getting scaled back for whatever reason. But with Windows 7 it’s out of the box and here to stay. A library is a type of virtual location within Windows 7 that combines files and folders from different physical locations from all over your hard drive and even other locations.

A library is a type of virtual location within Windows 7 that combines files and folders from different physical locations from all over your hard drive and even other locations. Here’s a good example of how this works. Lets say you store an invoice or proposal under each client directory. But sometimes you want to look at all invoices so you can also create a library of invoices, or group any selection of files in any way you might want to view them regardless of physical location.

So if you want to update a document in the virtual view, it replicates to the physical file in whatever location it’s stored. When you create and save (or copy from another source) you can mark these files to be in any library. So for some users this is a huge advantage. Others might not even notice or be aware of this new Windows feature. But it is a big step in bringing Windows into a new file structure and maybe even a new type of operating system.

What’s interesting here is the fact that with a file structure like this is Windows 7 becoming less of an operating system and more of a front-end application? Linux users have long had many different front-end desktops to choose from like KDE or Gnome, which can be used with different flavors of Linux. So is Microsoft inching its way to making Windows a desktop environment that can be used with any Linux operating system too? Or even allowing KDE or Gnome to be used as a front end or desktop environment for future versions of the Windows operating system?

Its been long rumored that Microsoft has been working on a Linux type OS that operates on any hardware (like Mac or Unix hardware). Is this the first step in an attempt at going after new markets? Offering both a separate front-end environment and a backend OS would give Microsoft access to almost any market and could also make it compatible with any software designed to be used on these other platforms.

Never underestimate Microsoft. They have a huge graveyard with past competitors buried alive. Remember when the number one browser was Netscape? Or how about when Dbase3 ruled the land? And there are plenty of other examples too of the reigning software being overtaken and passed by Microsoft.

So this latest development of Libraries might be a hot tip that Microsoft is once again on the move. They already have the minds and soles of both consumer and business users. And with Google breathing down their neck with online alternatives to their flagship Office products and even bringing out their own OS for desktops, Microsoft is certainly looking for new ways to expand their presence.

Only time will tell if bringing Libraries into Windows 7 is this is the first step toward Linux variations of Windows front end environments and backend Linux like operating systems. But nothing would surprise me about Microsoft’s plans. Anyone who doesn’t think Microsoft is looking for new markets and business is making a mistake, history has demonstrated that more than once.

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Linux Or Window System? Which One Works For You?

By Darren Thomas

Windows and Linux ( also being known as UNIX ) are two of the most popular platforms today, each has their own favorite followers and so-called fans because each of these platforms have their own advantages, so to speak.

Come on and let us study together what are the advantages of these two platforms,

i. Reliability – many specialists such as developers cited that UNIX is way more reliable than Windows. However many others who have been with Windows NT4.0 claimed that the reliability of Windows can be very close to UNIX, and this is especially true relying on the proficiency of the non-professionals whom are using Windows.

ii. Performance – well, I guess after some good debates, Windows and Linux are equally great in sustaining the quality of their hosting tasks and therefore had been performing well in their Hosting performance consistently.

iii. Cost – UNIX is definitely a lot cheaper than Windows, due to the fact that majority of the UNIX software products are distributed under a free of charge license while for Windows, this has never being the case. Comparatively UNIX hosting is more popular than Windows because for the same level of performance and flexibility among these two platforms but one is mostly free of charge or very likely to be a lot cheaper than the other platform, which one would you choose as a consumer?

iv. Accessibility and ease of use – today, there is really no significant differences between these two platforms in the perspective of user-friendliness. Both of them can be used with great ease. However, if you are a professional in the web hosting world, then UNIX would be your optimum choice, while for new-comers, you can choose any of these platforms as both of them are comes with a user friendly control panel with a user interface over the website.

v. Open source – one of the greatest advantages of UNIX is its open source based, with that, It is highly compatible to work with many different operating systems with ease. However as Windows is not of open source based, it is not as flexible as UNIX.

vi. Stability – although each of these platforms has their own fans as said before, however because UNIX or Linux are mostly servers, they tend to be more stable and it is the best choice for users who need a stable environment to deliver their tasks such as for a developer or even for a secretary.

vii. Linux work best for professional games – Games which are created for Linux work seamlessly, and in addition to that, some of the Windows games can be enabled to work in Linux. One good example is the: Play-station 3 is now being shipped with Linux pre-installed on the hard disk.

viii. Support and guidance – because of the significant number of users using Windows today, it is often found to get support and assistance easier should you have any issues with Windows platform. The turn-around time for fixing any issues for resolution is much faster for Windows, no doubt on that.

Despite whether you are an avid fans of Windows or Linux, you deserved to be complimented on the great work you have done in working on Windows or Linux to discover many of their benefits over the other in many different areas.

This is one great knowledge sharing among us as consumers because to be able to pick yourself a good hosting provider, paying to every little details are essential.

When you are searching for web hosting, reverse researching is important where you should find out the complaints about the host. Which field they are weak in? What mistake they always do? This can give you a clear picture on their performance. For more information, check out web hosting reviews.

Darren is a full time web developer attached with a web hosting company.

Linux and Unix Data Recovery

By Nahar Dijla

Forty years ago there was only one type of computer system. Today, the variety of computer systems has grown into its own world of complexities. Technological advances have been extraordinary in the hardware side of the industry. Yet while we marvel at ever-faster storage devices and greater processing power, it’s good to remind ourselves that we also need amazing new operating systems and file systems to manage the hardware and data.

True, there are many machines using Microsoft file systems, but it is a widely accepted fact that UNIX file systems survived stronger and much longer. UNIX operating systems have definitely established itself as a stable environment for most companies. In fact, most of the servers that are part of the infrastructure of the Internet are running a variant of the UNIX operating system. Recently, Linux has proved to be a stable alternative for companies running database servers or other business applications.

The Linux operating system placed great emphasis and focus towards the server environment, and increasingly the environment that is crucial to every professional, namely the desktop environment. Linux remained constant and been true to its UNIX roots. No wonder, it continues to grow by virtue of its ‘Open-Source’ status. The good thing about being Open-Source is that no single company gets to control the operating system. Some of the smartest minds in computer science established and devoted their careers to developing the operating system and file systems for the UNIX and Linux platforms.

Before the Seventies, the custom designed operating system was meant for for the hardware of the machine. The UNIX operating system had been designed in the late Sixties and was implemented in the early Seventies.

The amazing thing about UNIX was that it allowed hardware companies to concentrate design efforts on hardware without having to design a custom operating system to go with it. When UNIX started out, it wasn’t even marketed as a new operating system yet UNIX emerged further as an operating system and a strong alternative to mainframes.

With great focus on the file system point of view, UNIX brought a number of improvements to the design of file systems.

Most professionals for data recovery focus on the evaluation and recovery of one of these types of file systems. The stages of recovery are partition and volume verification, logical file system scan, error investigation, and repair, and volume reports.

However, there are situations where the quality of the recovery cannot be verified. One of these situations is when a file system repair utility has made permanent changes to the file system. When the tools of professionals fail to undo these changes because specific data has been changed, it is a difficult situation. Most of the UNIX file system variants also permanently remove inode entries when data is deleted.

Situations where files have been overwritten present the same problem; specific information that points to the data has been overwritten. All is not lost in circumstances like this. There are professional data recover engineers who have tools that will bypass the file system and look for specific file types – sometimes known as the magic number or unique identifier of a file. In these cases, the file names may be unrecoverable, however the file data may be readable.

No doubt, data recovery is a science-a great, emerging discipline that requires the best of trained experts. By opting for a company that claims to specialize in data recovery yet uses off-the-shelf recovery tools doesn’t guarantee efficient data recovery success.

You must opt for a company or a professional that researches and studies these file systems and then designs a suite of tools to facilitate Linux and Unix data recovery. Remember, automated tools provided by several data recovery companies don’t provide a good answer to complete the data recovery process/ This requires the professional services of experienced data recovery engineers who work till data is recovered. So remember to opt for the best solution providers so that quality is never compromised.

Data Recovery
RAID Data Recovery

Where Are The Linux Workplaces?
By David Heffelfinger

When I was in college, lower level CS course assignments were done in DOS PC’s networked through Novell Netware. Once a student got to take higher level courses, he/she was given an account into one of the department’s SunOS Unix servers. Most students from basic courses suffered from “Unix envy”, the Sun boxes were perceived as being much more powerful than the humble PC’s. As a I entered the workplace, I brought my college perception that Unix workstations are more powerful than PC’s with me.

In my first couple of jobs after college I was given a Unix workstation to work with, first an HP UX workstation, then a SunOS box, and I couldn’t have been happier about it. After I transferred to a new department in that same job, I was given my first Windows NT workstation ever, I was disappointed not to have my own Unix workstation anymore.

Ever since, I’ve had nothing but Windows workstations given to me in every Job I’ve had. And I’ve had quite a few, since I’ve been doing contract work for a few years now. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that every company switch all of their employees to Linux, but I’ve wondered why IT departments have been so slow to adopt it. IT workers do minimal, if any, office work, therefore the lack of Microsoft Office availability is not a major concern, for whatever documents or spreadsheets an IT worker might have to create, OpenOffice.org is more than enough.

Most big companies have adopted Java as their official programming language, at least as far as server side development is concerned. In many cases, Java applications are deployed to Unix servers, however most developers are given Windows workstations to work with. Wouldn’t it make sense to give the developers an environment as similar as possible as the production environment?

I earn my paycheck writing Java EE applications, and I’m lucky enough that my current client allows me to work using my Linux laptop, but many places don’t allow just any device to be plugged into their network.

Besides the obvious savings in license fees, Linux offers other advantages like lack of viruses and worms, and better security overall. Linux does not lack media exposure, we’ve all seen the IBM commercials, and it is frequently mentioned in IT magazines. Why hasn’t it been adopted more widely? I don’t have the answer to that question, I’m going to have to speculate.

One reason could be the perception that Linux is difficult to use. This might have been the case a few years ago, but today, with a modern desktop environment like GNOME or KDE, Unix knowledge is not really needed to use a Linux workstation, operation is basically point and click, not much different from a Windows or OS X box.

Another reason might be a concern of Linux might not interoperate well with the rest of the company’s (Microsoft based) IT infrastructure. With tools like Samba, OpenOffice.org and Evolution (with the Ximian connector), this shouldn’t be a concern.

Another reason could be the perception that Linux does not support enough hardware. This is somewhat true, but if you are careful when selecting your hardware, you can easily get a fully functional Linux box. Most unsupported hardware have no place in the workplace anyway, I’m mainly talking here about USB devices like digital cameras and MP3 players.

Looks like most reasons Linux is not being adopted in the workplace are based on false assumptions and incorrect perceptions. How can we promote Linux adoption in the workplace? Seems to me the answer lies in educating and informing the “powers that be” in IT departments. Talking to managers in terms they understand, emphasizing reduced costs and increased productivity. Reduced cost because of the license savings, increased productivity because less time is spent applying service packs and patches, and the chances of catching a virus drop to near zero.

Convincing managers to give Linux a try is easier said than done, I know, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

David Heffelfinger is a Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience. He is the editor in chief of Ensode.net a technology website providing articles about Java, Linux and other technology topics

Questions and Answers About the Linux Operating System

By Andrea Tessi

The purpose of this article is to give answers to some basic questions common people may have about Linux. Linux is a free operating system whose popularity is increasing day by day and passed from being the toy of a small geek group to a robust and mature piece of code so much as to start challenging Microsoft Windows leadership.

Q. What is exactly Linux?
A. Actually three different things yet belonging to the same environment are named Linux. Originally it was used to name the kernel of the Linux Operating System (whose complete name should be hence “GNU Linux”) and eventually it was used to simply refer to the Linux Operating System. Finally, a lot of application software was added both by spontaneous programming groups and by software companies, creating software collections also known as distributions. So nowadays the name Linux is used for three different things: the kernel, the operating system and the distribution.

Q. Who created Linux?
A. The author of the Linux kernel is basically Linus Torvalds, a finnish computer science expert who developed it as an experiment during his university career. Later, a team of volunteers helped him improving and enhancing it.

Q. Are Unix and Linux the same thing?
A. No, though Linux has been written from the Unix code. Anyway, it is so similar to the operating system family known as “Unix” to the point that experts use to refer to Linux as “Unix like”

Q. How much does it cost?
A. Linux is free and it comes with a licence known as “GNU GPL”, which grants free use, free access to the source code (Linux distributions often come with both binaries and the source code), freedom to copy, modify and distribute it.

Q. Are there many people using Linux?
A. Nowadays Linux is becoming very popular. There are many people that neither are geeks nor computer experts turning to Linux every day. During the last 5 years Linux evolved to become very user friendly, and for some tasks even more than Microsoft Windows.

Q. Can I run a Windows program on Linux?
A. Basically no. Linux and Windows are so different that a program written and compiled for Windows won’t run on Linux and vice versa. An exception may be done for Java programs, provided that the Java Virtual Machine is installed in the system. However, a few developer groups and software companies are committed in developing emulators that make possible, under certain circumstances, to run some Windows programs on Linux.

Q. Are there programs for linux similar to those running on windows?
A. Yes. For the most common tasks we can say that every Windows program has its free equivalent on Linux. In many cases Linux offers more than one alternative. The most famous are Firefox for internet surfing, Open Office for office automation (wordprocessing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, html pages, database and more), Evolution as an e-mail client, The Gimp for photo and image manipulation.

Q. Can I run Microsoft Office on linux?
A. No. Microsoft announced that they will never port (i.e. make it compatible) Microsoft Office to Linux. However, it is possible to run the original code (with some limitations, I guess) using a Windows emulator.

Q. Is Linux easy to learn?
A. Linux has become very user friendly nowadays. For a normal user the learning curve is not steeper then for learning Windows or MacOs.

These are some basic answers to questions people ask me when I tell them I use Linux. It still seems strange to most of them that somebody nowadays can use an operating system that neither is Windows nor MacOs.

Andrea is a software developer and writes articles online about computers, software and other interesting topics. Come to visit his new website that helps people find the best cappuccino machine and discusses the 10 top selling cappuccino machines available in the market.

Differences Between Linux And Windows
By Matt Gebhardt

This article will discuss the differences between the Linux and Windows operating software; we discuss some of the pro’s and con’s of each system.

Let us first start out with a general overview of the Linux operating system. Linux at its most basic form is a computer kernel. The Kernel is the underlying computer code, used to communicate with hardware, and other system software, it also runs all of the basic functions of the computer.

The Linux Kernel is an operating system, which runs on a wide variety of hardware and for a variety of purposes. Linux is capable of running on devices as simple as a wrist watch, or a cell phone, but it can also run on a home computer using, for example Intel, or AMD processors, and its even capable of running on high end servers using Sun Sparc CPU’s or IBM power PC processors. Some Linux distro’s can only run one processor, while others can run many at once.

Common uses for Linux include that of a home desktop computing system, or more commonly for a server application, such as use as a web server, or mail server. You can even use Linux as a dedicated firewall to help protect other machines that are on the same network.

A programmer student named Linus Torvalds first made Linux as a variant of the Unix operating system in 1991. Linus Torvalds made Linux open source with the GNU (GPL) (General Public License), so other programmers could download the source code free of charge and alter it any way they see fit. Thousands of coders throughout the world began downloading and altering the source code of Linux, applying patches, and bug fixes, and other improvements, to make the OS better and better. Over the years Linux has gone from a simple text based clone of Unix, to a powerful operating software, with full-featured desktop environments, and unprecedented portability, and a variety of uses. Most of the original Unix code has also been gradually written out of Linux over the years.

As a result of Linux being open source software, there is no one version of Linux; instead there are many different versions or distributions of Linux, that are suited for a variety of different users and task. Some Distributions of Linux include Gentoo, and Slackware, which due to the lack of a complete graphical environment is best, suited for Linux experts, programmers, and other users that know their way around a command prompt. Distributions that lack a graphical environment are best suited for older computers lacking the processing power necessary to process graphics, or for computers performing processor intensive task, where it is desirable to have all of the system resources focused on the task at hand, rather than wasting resources by processing graphics. Other Linux distributions aim at making the computing experience as easy as possible. Distributions such as Ubuntu, or Linspire make Linux far easier to use, by offering full-featured graphical environments that help eliminate the need for a command prompt. Of course the downside of ease of use is less configurability, and wasted system resources on graphics processing. Other distributions such as Suse try to find a common ground between ease of use and configurability.

“Linux has two parts, they include the Kernel mentioned previously, and in most circumstances it will also include a graphical user interface, which runs atop the Kernel” reference #3. In most cases the user will communicate with the computer via the graphical user interface. (ref #6) Some of the more common graphical environments that can run on Linux include the following. The KDE GUI (Graphical user interface). Matthias Ettrich developed KDE in 1996. He wanted a GUI for the Unix desktop that would make all of the applications look and feel alike. He also wanted a desktop environment for Unix that would be easier to use than the ones available at the time. KDE is a free open source project, with millions of coders working on it throughout the world, but it also has some commercial support from companies such as Novell, Troltech, and Mandriva. KDE aims to make an easy to use desktop environment without sacrificing configurability. Windows users might note that KDE has a similar look to Windows. Another popular GUI is (ref #7) GNOME. GNOME puts a heavy emphasis on simplicity, and user ability. Much like KDE GNOME is open source and is free to download. One notable feature of GNOME is the fact that it supports many different languages; GNOME supports over 100 different languages. Gnome is license under the LGPL license (lesser general public license). The license allows applications written for GNOME to use a much wider set of licenses, including some commercial applications. The name GNOME stands for GNU Network object model environment. GNOME’s look and feel is similar to that of other desktop environments. Fluxbox is another example of a Linux GUI. With less of an emphasis on ease of use and eye candy, Fluxbox aims to be a very lightweight, and a more efficient user of system resources. The interface has only a taskbar and a menu bar, which is accessed by right clicking over the desktop. Fluxbox is most popular for use with older computers that have a limited abundance of system resources.

Although most Linux distributions offer a graphical environment, to simplify the user experience, they all also offer a way for more technically involved users to directly communicate with the Kernel via a shell or command line. The command line allows you to run the computer without a GUI, by executing commands from a text-based interface. An advantage of using the command prompt is it uses less system resources and enables your computer to focus more of its energy on the task at hand. Examples of commands include the cd command for changing your directory, or the halt command for shutting down your system, or the reboot command for restarting the computer ect.

Now that we are more familiar with the Linux operating system, we can note the many ways in which Linux differs from the worlds most popular OS, Microsoft Windows. From this point forward we will discuss some of the more prominent ways in which Linux deferrers from Windows.

For starters there is only one company that releases a Windows operating system, and that company is Microsoft. All versions of Windows, weather Windows XP Home, Business, or Vista, all updates, security patches, and service patches for Windows comes from Microsoft. With Linux on the other hand there is not one company that releases it. Linux has millions of coders and companies throughout the world, volunteering their time to work on patches, updates, newer versions, and software applications. Although some companies, charge for TECH support, and others charge for their distribution of Linux, by packaging it with non-free software, you will always be able to get the Linux Kernel for free, and you can get full-featured Linux desktops with all the necessary applications for general use, for free as well. The vendors that charge money for their distribution of Linux are also required to release a free version in order to comply with the GPL License agreement. With Microsoft Windows on the other hand you have to pay Microsoft for the software, and you will also have to pay for most of the applications that you will use.

Windows and Linux also differ on TECH support issues. Windows is backed by the Microsoft Corporation, which means that if you have an issue with any of their products the company should resolve it. For example if Microsoft Windows is not working right, then you should be able to call Microsoft and make use of their TECH support to fix the issue. TECH support is usually included with the purchase of the product for a certain amount of time, maybe a two year period, and from there on you may be charged for the service. Although IBM backs their Linux products, for the most part if you use Linux you are on your own. If you have a problem with Ubuntu Linux you cannot call Ubuntu and expect any help. Despite the lack of professional help, you can however receive good TECH advice, from the thousands or millions of Linux forums that are on the web. You ca also get great help from social networking sites such as Myspace, by posting questions in the many Linux groups. You can usually receive responses for your questions in a matter of hours form many qualified people.

Configurability is another key difference between the two operating software’s. Although Windows offers its control panel to help users configure the computer to their liking, it does not match the configuring options that Linux provides especially if you are a real TECH savvy user. In Linux the Kernel is open source, so if you have the know how, you can modify it in virtually any way that you see fit. Also Linux offers a variety of Graphical environments to further suit your needs. As mentioned earlier Linux is capable of running full-featured graphical environments like KDE, or more lightweight and resource friendly GUI’s like Fluxbox, or Blackbox, to suit users with older computers. There are also versions of Linux that are designed to emulate the Windows look and feel as closely as possible. Distributions such as Linspire are best suited for users that are migrating over from the Windows world. There are also distributions that include no graphical environment at all to better suit users that need to squeeze out all of the computing power that they can get for various computing activities, and for users that are more advanced than others. All of this configurability can be problematic sometimes, as you will have to make a decision on which desktop is right for you, and to make things easier on yourself you will need to only install applications that are native to your distribution and graphical environment.

(ref #1) The cost effectiveness of Linux is another way it separates itself from Windows. For home use Linux is cheap and in most cases completely free, while Windows varies in cost depending on which version you buy. With Linux most of the applications will also be free, however for Windows in the majority of cases you are suppose to pay for the applications. For most cases, with Linux there is no need to enter a product activation key when performing an installation, you are free to install it on as many computers as you’d like. With Windows you are only allowed to install it on one computer and Microsoft uses product activation software to enforce this rule. When installing Window’s you must enter a product activation key, which will expire after so many uses. If you wish too, you can purchase Linux from a variety of vendors, which will include a boxed set of CDs, Manuals, and TECH support for around 40-130$. Of course If you purchase a high-end version of Linux used for servers it may cost any where from 400$- 2000$. “In 2002 computer world magazine quoted the chief technology architect at Merrill Lynch in New York, as saying “the cost of running Linux is typically a tenth of the cost of running Unix or Windows alternatively.” (ref#1)

(ref #1) Installation of Windows is generally easier, than installing Linux. “With Windows XP there are three main ways to install. There is a clean install, in which you install Windows on a blank hard drive. There is also an upgrade install, in which you start with an older version of Windows and “upgrade” to a newer one. An advantage of upgrading is that all of the files on the older system should remain intact throughout the process. You can also perform a repair install, in which case you are installing the same version of Windows on top of itself in order to fix a damaged version of Windows. There is also a recovery, which Technically is not an install; it is used to restore a copy of Windows back to its factory settings. The disadvantage of recovering Windows is the fact that you will loose all of your data, which resides on the damaged copy of Windows.” (ref#1) Also with Windows you can rest assured that your hardware will most likely be supported by the operating software, although this is not much of a problem with Linux you cant be sure if Linux will support all of your hardware. With Linux installation varies greatly from Distro to Distro. You may be presented with a graphical installer or it may be a text-based installer, these variations make Linux a bit more difficult and unpredictable to install than is Windows, (although the difficulty is disappearing). You may perform a clean install of Linux or dual boot it, to co-exist with another operation software. With Linux rather than having to buy an upgrade Cd, you can install updates by downloading and then installing them while your desktop is running. With Linux it is also not necessary to reboot your computer after most upgrades, It is only necessary to reboot after an upgrade to the kernel. It is also possible to run Linux without ever needing to install it on a hard drive; there are many distributions of Linux that will allow you to run it straight off of a live cd. The advantage of this is that you do not need to alter your system in order to try Linux. You can run Linux off of the CD so you do not have to damage your Windows partition. Other advantages include the ability to rescue a broken Linux system. If your Linux computer will not boot, then you may insert a live cd and boot off it, so you can repair the damaged version of Linux. Also you may use a Linux live cd to recover files from a damaged Windows computer that will no longer boot up. Since Linux is capable of reading NTFS files you may copy files form a Windows computer to a USB flash drive or floppy drive etc.

Another major difference between Linux and Windows is the applications that you will use with either OS. Windows includes a much wider abundance of commercially backed applications than does Linux. It is much easier to find the software that you are looking for with Windows than it is with Linux, because so many software vendors make their products compatible with Windows only. With Linux you will for the most part be forced to let go of the familiar applications that you have grown accustomed to with Windows, in favor of lesser-known open source apps that are made for Linux. Applications such as Microsoft office, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Adobe Creative suite, and chat clients such as MSN messenger, do not work natively with Linux. Although with Linux you can get Microsoft office and Adobe creative suite to work using software from codeWeavers called cross Over Office. Instead of using these applications you will need to use Linux apps such as open office, The Gimp Image Editor, The ThunderBird email client, Instead of the MSN messenger you can use the GAIM messenger, and you can use Firefox as your web browser. Also with Linux it can be difficult to install software even if it is made for Linux. This is due to the fact that Linux has so many different versions. Software that is made to install on one version probably will require some configuration in order to install on another version. An example would be if you were trying to install software that was made for the KDE graphical environment, on the GNOME GUI, This app would not easily install on the GNOME GUI, and would require some configuring on your part to successfully install it.

The type of hard ware that Linux and windows runs on also causes them to differ. Linux will run on many different hardware platforms, from Intel and AMD chips, to computers running IBM power Pc processors. Linux will run on the slowest 386 machines to the biggest mainframes on the planet, newer versions of Windows will not run on the same amount of hardware as Linux. Linux can even be configured to run on apples, Ipod’s, or smart phones. A disadvantage of Linux is when it comes to using hardware devices such as Printers, Scanners, or Digital camera’s. Where as the driver software for these devices will often be easily available for Windows, with Linux you are for the most part left on your own to find drivers for these devices. Most Linux users will find comfort in the fact that drivers for the latest hardware are constantly being written by coders throughout the world and are usually very quickly made available.

(ref #1) One of the most notable differences between the two operating software’s is Windows legendary problems with malicious code, known as Viruses and Spy ware. Viruses, Spy-ware and a general lack of security are the biggest problems facing the Windows community. Under Windows Viruses and Spy-ware have the ability to execute themselves with little or no input from the user. This makes guarding against them a constant concern for any Windows user. Windows users are forced to employ third party anti virus software to help limit the possibility of the computer being rendered useless by malicious code. Anti virus software often has the negative side effect of hogging system resources, thus slowing down your entire computer, also most anti virus software requires that you pay a subscription service, and that you constantly download updates in order to stay ahead of the intruders. With Linux on the other hand problems with viruses are practically non-existent, and in reality you do not even need virus protection for your Linux machine. One reason why Viruses and Spy-ware are not a problem for Linux is simply due to the fact that there are far fewer being made for Linux. A more important reason is that running a virus on a Linux machine is more difficult and requires a lot more input from the user. With Windows you may accidentally run and execute a virus, by opening an email attachment, or by double clicking on a file that contains malicious code. However with Linux a virus would need to run in the terminal, which requires the user to give the file execute permissions, and then open it in the terminal. And in order to cause any real damage to the system the user would have to log in as root, by typing a user name and password before running the virus. Foe example to run a virus that is embedded in an email attachment the user would have to, open the attachment, then save it, then right click the file and chose properties form the menu, in properties they can give it execute permissions, they would then be able to open the file in the terminal to run the virus. And even then the user would only be able to damage his or her home folder, all other users data will be left untouched, and all root system files would also remain untouched, because Linux would require a root password to make changes to these files. The only way the user can damage the whole computer would be if he or she logged in as root user by providing the root user name and password to the terminal before running the virus. Unlike Windows in Linux an executable file cannot run automatically, It needs to be given execute permissions manually this significantly improves security. In Linux the only realistic reason you would need virus protection is if you share files with Windows users, and that is to protect them not you, so you are not to accidentally pass a virus to the Windows computer that you are sharing files with.

The above was a general over view of some differences between the Windows operating system, and Linux. To recap we started with the fact that Windows has only one vendor that releases the software, while Linux comes from millions of different coders throughout the world. We also commented on the fact that the Linux Kernel and much of the applications used with it are completely free of charge, where as with windows you are forced to pay for most of the software. Unlike Widows Linux is often lacking in professional Tech support, and Linux users are often left on their own to solve Technical issues. Linux users can either pay for Tech support or rely on the many Linux Forums and groups available on the Internet. Due to the fact that the kernel is open source, Linux has a huge advantage over Windows in configurability. You can configure Linux to run almost any way you see fit by manipulating the Kernel. Installing the Windows Operating software and applications is easier due to the fact that it has a universal installer. Also finding applications for Windows is easier because of its popularity most apps are available for Windows only, and are made easily available. Linux will run on a greater variety of hard ware than does Windows, from mainframe super computers running multiple IBM Power PC Chips, to a small laptop running an AMD processor. And of course the biggest difference in this writer’s opinion is the fact that Linux does not suffer from an onslaught of Viruses and other malicious code, unlike Windows which is plagued by countless number of malicious code that can easily destroy your system if not properly guarded against.

In conclusion we will conclude that the Linux OS really is the superior software. Other than a few minor nuisances, linux out performs Windows in most categories. The fact that Linux is more secure is the tipping point, that tilts the scales in the favor of Linux. Windows simply suffers from far to many security vulnerabilities for it to be considered the better over all desktop environment.

References

michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html Reference #1

theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2004/10/27/linux-more-secure-than-windows-says-study Reference #2

linux.com/whatislinux/ reference number 3

.linux.org/info/

Reference #4

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux%5Fkernel Reference #5

/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE Reference #6

/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME Reference #7

http://www.alinuxworld.com i wrote this article for part of a final project for my unix class while in college. i also run a linux website at the following url http://www.alinuxworld.com

How to Configure SAMBA on a Linux Server
By Chris Ondo

Step By step guide to configuring SAMBA on a LINUX server.

This is for network administrators with experience configuring and administrating LINUX servers that want to know how to configure a SAMBA file server the right way step by step.

In this step by step tutorial I am going to show you how to make a shared folder on a linux server and share it so users on Microsoft windows workstations can access it on a local – internal network.

In this tutorial I am going to make the folder called “shared folder” and allow everybody access to the folder and printer networked to the Linux server.

This is a basic how to guide for configuring a samba workgroup file server.
I will cover how to build and configure a samba PDC – Primary domain controller in another tutorial for more experienced network administrators.

STEP 1
Open the samba configuration file using a unix text editor.
I like NANO since it is very easy to use.
Below are the commands I used to perform this task.

[root@localhost ~]# cd /etc
[root@localhost etc]# cd samba
[root@localhost samba]# nano smb.conf

Ok now we are in the smb.conf file
Now delete all the text in the configuration file.
Now copy and paste the below text…after that is done hit the “control and X buttons on your keyboard to exit out of the NANO text editor.
Then hit the Y button and last hit the ENTER button.
Now we are back to the command prompt and our samba configuration file is edited and saved.

[global]
workgroup = workgroup
server string = My Linux File Server
hosts allow = 192.168. 127.
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
security = user
netbios name = SAMBA SERVER
encrypt passwords = yes
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192

[shared folder]
comment = My Home Directory
browseable = yes
writable = yes
public = yes
read only = no

[printers]
path = /var/spool/samba
public = yes
guest ok = yes
printable = yes
browseable = yes
writable = yes
read only = no

STEP 2
We have to create a user acct on the Linux server itself then we will create a samba user on top of the Linux user acct.

[root@localhost ~]# useradd chris
[root@localhost ~]# passwd chris
Changing password for user chris.
New UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
[root@localhost ~]# smbpasswd -a chris
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no :)
mod_smbfilepwd_entry: malformed password entry (no :)
[root@localhost ~]#

STEP 3
We have to start the SAMBA service.
It may already be started or it may not…so let’s check and see.

[root@localhost ~]# service smb status
smbd is stopped
nmbd is stopped
[root@localhost ~]#

The samba service is not running so let’s start it up

[root@localhost ~]# service smb start
smbd (pid 4267 4266) is running…
nmbd (pid 4271) is running…
[root@localhost ~]#

Now let’s verify the service is running

[root@localhost ~]# service smb status
smbd (pid 4267 4266) is running…
nmbd (pid 4271) is running…
[root@localhost ~]#

STEP 4
reboot your windows XP workstations then go to network “my network places” then go to “workgroup computers”.
You will see a computer there called “My Linux File Server”.
You can manually map a local drive letter to this folder or write a logon script the same as you would connecting to a Microsoft file server – shared folder.
Double click on that computer and you will be prompted for a user name and password.
Use the user name and password you choose in step #2
Now you will see a folder called “shared folder” You can copy and paste data to this folder just like it were a windows file server.

Chris Ondo – Central Florida Computer Engineering

http://centralfloridacomputerengineering.com

Linux Boot Process
By Erik Schweigert

As many people have often wondered, how does the Linux/Unix operating system boot? How could I put in a process to run during boot so that I do not have to start it every time manually? To do this one has to understand the basic

click for full-size

environment procedure that is currently in place to add anything to it.

On a typical Linux system, I prefer Debian, the bootloader points to the kernel which in turn points to a file under /etc known as inittab. The interaction between the bootloader and the kernel is complex enough for another article.

1. The /etc/inittab is a file that contains a set of instructions to call a specific directory under the /etc directory. It is a Shell script that looks something like this:# /etc/inittab: init(8) configuration.
   # $Id: inittab,v 1.91 2002/01/25 13:35:21 miquels Exp $

   # The default runlevel.
   id:2:initdefault:

   # Boot-time system configuration/initialization script.
   # This is run first except when booting in emergency (-b) mode.
   si::sysinit:/etc/init.d/rcS

2. The system then calls the /etc/init.d/rcS shell script. This script then executes each shell script found in /etc/rcS.d/ directory. When an application is added to the system it will place its startup script in either the /etc/rcS.d/ or the /etc/rc2.d/ directory. This set of scripts are run initially and are system specific and should never be tampered with. After this set of scripts spawns off each process the /etc/init.d/rcS script then calls all files under /etc/rc2.d/ directory. The /etc/rc2.d/ directory is usually application software and not software required specifically for the system.Each file in these directories has a S(for start) and a number. For example: S43portmap. The number does not mean it will be the 43rd process started, but instead is used to stagger which process is started. Thus, if you wanted something to start before or after S43portmap you would set the prefix to be S40 for before the S43portmap and S50 for after the S43portmap.
3. If you wanted to add your own application to be run you should always add it into the /etc/rc2.d/ directory. The /etc/rc2.d/ is the default runlevel used on most Linux systems.
4. If you find yourself in the /etc/rc2.d/ directory you may notice that each file is actually symlinked back to the /etc/init.d/ directory. You are in fact correct. Its actually pretty neat if you think about it, as you could just create a symlink with a different number to start any of these scripts at a different time. This also gives the flexibility to the user to easily modify the boot process for his/her system.

Now show me how to do that in Windows!

For more information related to Linux and UNIX head over to linuxtechutopia.com

Erik is an avid Linux user and has experience with a wide variety of Linux/Unix based systems. In his spare time he likes writing software (C/C++/Perl/PHP/BASH/Python) and experimenting with different Linux distributions. He is starting to build a wide variety of articles Unix driven (what a surprise) that hope to inform those just getting into Linux on his website.

http://www.linuxtechutopia.com

Linux Web Hosting – Know What Makes it So Acceptable
By Anand Maheshwari

When you figure out the requirement to form a website, you will also have to zero out which web hosting firm to select. There are several platforms which you are open to make your pick from. The most famous amongst them is Linux Web Hosting. Linux hosting is taken to be as an alternate for making use of technology based on Microsoft Windows for working a website. Linux, an open source system was designed subsequent to Unix. This suggests that Linux is absolutely free, which a factor is considered by some people while making a choice. Apart from being free, it is also taken as extremely steady even in between long-lasting multitasking. Its flexibility, portability as well as power make it more credible in usage.

Other factor which contributes in making Linux Web Hosting a hit among the users is that the distribution cost is very small. With this you also avail free applications to assist the server run swiftly and consistently. Some of these applications you will also very well acquainted with such as HTTP server, File Server, FTP, DNS server among various others. With the technology of PHP, it is able to produce web pages having dynamic content and is also visually attractive. Such pages can change in terms of appearance as well as content. This is mainly keeping in consideration the interest of the person watching it has to so something like getting a form filled. Another most important advantage that plays a crucial role is that it is extremely easy in terms of its scalability. The provider of Linux based services offers practically a website, small as well as large as per your needs.

The system of data base which is used by Linux web hosts for varied websites is MySQL. Python, the programming language that is much valued by the programmers is also used in Linux hosting. It is comparatively refined and at the same time is very simple to learn too. It often makes use of words commonly used in English unlike other programming languages which make use of symbols.

It also renders you with the flexibility to make alterations and check them instantly without even making those changes everlasting. Extensible Markup Language, abbreviated as, XML is another technology made use by the Linux Web hosting. It is an extremely flexible way of regulating the information that contributes in formation of a website. With HTML, the previous system that was used every information piece was marked mainly for manifestation. With XML, this phenomenon has undergone a change and now you can use any kind of marker that pleases you. The owner of the website can now manage the website in their own way with XML. With Linux web hosting you can own all these benefits and mould them according to your needs.

Anand is a webmaster for Web Hosting India visit: hosting.b4uindia.com

Windows Hosting versus Linux Hosting
By Calin Indre

The matter of choosing between the operating system (OS) running the web server hosting your web site as old as the web hosting business.
The OS controls all the functions of the web server hosting your site, so it comes naturally to pay special attention when choosing one over another. But what are really the options you have?

Mainly you can choose between web hosting based on Windows, Linux or Unix operating systems. A brief description and analysis of the different systems will narrow the list of options to only two.

Microsoft’s Windows server operating systems (NT/2000/2003) have a rather friendly and familiar user interface, making IT teams to easier in this aspect. Another plus is given by it’s excellent integration capabilities with other applications developed by Microsoft and let’s face it their range is absolutely impressive. The main key point of Windows based hosting is its support for .ASP (Active Server Pages) or the advanced ASP.NET. This language for web development was created by Microsoft to facilitate the creation of dynamic web pages linked to SQL databases. It also provides capabilities for integration with other systems.

It can be said that Unix is the OS that powered the beginning of the Internet era and due to his qualities is still used today. Linux OS was developed having Unix as starting point and this is how the two share many features. Today the Linux version of the Unix system is more common on web servers and this has to do with the higher licensing costs and with the rather specific hardware requirements for Unix. This is why we will continue with Linux only, but Unix is taken into account as well. Linux hosting has its strong points in fulfilling one’s requirements for a good web server and Web serving, file serving, mailing, and streaming are only a few. It proves itself is a very cost-effective choice from using hardware efficiently, and allowing an increased web sites per server ratio, this ultimately resulting in a decreasing the cost of hosting per account.

So here are our two choices Windows and Linux.

Reliability

In the past Linux OS were seen as more reliable over Windows. However with the release of Windows 2003 server Microsoft has gone a long way and closed the gap in this area.
Linux servers are compatible with certain Microsoft extensions and applications and the same is true for Windows.

Web Programming

Even if trying to host a simple personal web site, your might want add some simple scripts to spice up your pages. The issue gets bigger when you are looking to host an e-commerce site supported by some serious server-side programming. So how are our two contenders doing in this aspect?

Supporting java scripts is not a topic to be argued upon as they are executed on the client side (the user’s web browser) and both Linux and Windows have no problem feeding this content to your visitors.

It is a whole different matter when discussing server side scripting. For web site owners trying to implement forms on their site it is common knowledge that ASP is supported by Windows and PHP is the tool to do just that under Linux. However both developed solutions to support each other’s programming language for web development. This support is not perfect and its limitations recommend Linux for a good PHP support and Windows for ASP, especially when it comes to hosting web sites that require the full use the advantages offered by PHP or ASP.

Linux offers a support for FrontPage extensions. Windows has a weak point in offering only limited CGI/Perl support, so if Perl is the scripting language of your choice, you should opt for Linux.

Databases

Dynamically driven web sites require some sort of databases. Beyond sites employing databases, most frequently you will encounter mySQL or MSAccess. If your web site is relying on mySQL, then you’ll have no problems hosting it on either Windows or Linux. For MSAccess databases, look your only option is Windows.

Price

Linux web hosting is cheaper. The reason must be searched in licensing costs, that are lower that for Windows, and in the ability of Linux web servers to support a higher web sites per server ratio without compromising the quality of service.

Although Windows hosting cost a bit more, you will get something for your money. It’s reduced development time and functionality

As the option of one over another depends basically of your actual needs and of the plans you have made for the future of your web site. For example will it move from a rather static web site to one relying heavily on server side scripting? And if it is so what would be the programming language used: PHP or ASP? Consequently your web site will be set up on a Linux or on a Windows web server.

Almost all serious web-hosting providers will offer you the choice between Linux and Windows.

There is no winner of this contest, at least not yet. In today’s terms, your preference of one system over another should be given only by your requirements and the needs of your visitors.

Calin Indre is editor at HostPinPin (http://www.hostpinpin.com), a Cheap Web Hosting Directory Resource.

HostPinPin.com is a resource for webmasters and consumers looking to find a web hosting company. Providing web hosting articles, tips, web hosting reviews, compare web hosting plans and more.

This article may be reprinted or published without the authors consent as long as the “About” and “weblinks” are kept intact.